History of pipewellgate and how it can influence future development

Some old photos of Pipewellgate (in past times known as Pypewelgat) and Rabbit banks. These images highlight how industrial Newcastle was down next to the Tyne. Landmarks such as St Nicholas Chare and the Newcastle keep can be seen on the skyline, elevated as the jewels of the city. The river has boats and transport running up and down, an activity that has been lost in modern Newcastle. Therefore, ideas about a barge and how it could relate to the new design of my Finnish Institute could bring about activity on the water once again. As you can see in the bottom left image, the Gateshead side of the water was once a hub of public houses and centres of commerce, again commodities that have been lost due to over privatisation, an act that has killed public spaces and some areas of the Quayside. An example of this is the Naval Base in front of the Sage in Gateshead, a privatised domain that kills riverside catalyst spaces for public development and enjoyment. This is why it is important to establish the Oil Brett refinery as a public space that interacts with the 'sculpture park' that surrounds it, a new natural promenade, that enables interaction with both the water and trees should be heavily considered my design process.